The co-creator and recipient of my five Albi-like dragons wrote yesterday to let me know the quints had arrived safely.

She gifted her friends with them. They were all very surprised and pleased, she said, and then she proposed a new project!

Her boss at Mail Chimp had seen the dragons and wanted to know if I might try my hand at creating a version of the businesses icon.

Dude, I get to make this really cute monkey. Am I stoked? In the most excellent way.

I prefer at this stage in my career to do the initial work “on spec” to make sure the client likes it. I make my prototype then send photos. It’s not as risky as it might sound. Stuffed animals are sooo cute they are nearly irresistible.

The client falls in love and then I really get to work making multiple critters.

Endless thanks to the dear English rose, Redd Horrocks, of Atlanta, Georgia!

This work allows me to “meet” warm, bright people and then I have the pleasure of watching the “cute” they’ve commissioned blossom out of fleece and thread and stuffing.

Experiencing some kind of warped Tim Burton loyalty, I pondered whether I would see the animated film Caroline.

Cinematically it looked slightly less than Burtonish. It was made by the “director” of Nightmare Before Christmas, Henry Selick, but does not have Tim Burton as creator.

Instead it is Neil Gaiman. I had only a sort of negative association stuck in the back of my mind when I heard the name. A vague violent comics repulsion (Sandman?), but I don’t really know anything about his work. Hey, N. Gaiman is really cute, though.

Hmmm. Am I really that shallow?

No, but I will explore his ouvre more carefully.

He’s British. Nice green eyes.

I’m pretty sure I’ll see it now. I caught the 15-minute promo on HBO and drooled jealously over the lucky people engaged in the fine art work rendering every element used for creating the stop-motion film. WOW. See that 15-minute promo if you can.

I began this morning with a photo session. I am probably the least photogenic person ever born so to say it was gruesome, well . . .

The good thing is that the photographer was a former Record Searchlight photog, Mike Burke. He is a really cool guy who loves photography. We did some fun action shots which were better than the sit-there-and-smile-at-the-camera shots.

The photos are for my RS blog and it is mostly about astrology so I chose the Schreder Planetarium as the location. I later did my “action” shots beneath this arch. You’ll have to use your imagination with this pic.

It wasn’t really, too bad. I will have to live with the photo Mike chooses. I hope it’s the one he showed me last. I look a bit sardonic.

Here is a nice pink bud from a flowering tree at the planetarium.

Next up was the post office.

I manage to be there bright and early with all the SSI check recipients who were getting their checks early. I had a conversation with a woman who was registering to vote for the first time in her life. She looked 50 but it could have been a meth-head 50. She could be 35 in regular years.

“Hillary’s out of it now isn’t she?”

She asked how I would vote. I said I thought I’d vote for Obama. She found that weird. It seemed to be the name that threw her. She repeated a few time “Obama. Obama. Obama. How can you vote for somebody with a name like that?”

I knew it was a rhetorical question. I let some time pile up before I spoke again. I think we need to try something new, I said.

“Yeah, I try something new.” The woman let out a gravelly chuckle. I figured it was a drug reference. I know I’m assuming a lot. She could have been a rocket scientist or a social worker

I sold an Obama and Spud Friend Bitty PIx last night. I guess the Democratic Convention fired up at least one person. I love this image. I captured it from my TV. Freeze Frame.

Got my packages mailed and then it was on to my next destination. I was trying to beat the heat.

I got myself over to Grocery Outlet to pick up a few things. Salmon, eggs, salsa, veggie fake-sausage patties, milk, detergent.

I bought chocolate for Frank and for Granny but I did not buy any of the bagged candy. They did have some really cool Japanese gummy candy. They were fun to look at but I resisted.

They have all the bright bags of sugary temptations right at the counter so you can’t miss it. Sometimes i really crave bright and cute and wild. COLOR.

I’ve been looking through etsy for Japanese tape. It’s really cute. Quite a shock I know. That is Japan’s thing Cute.

The seller FromJapanWithLove has Kawaii stickers and tape galore. Thousands of items.

Here is something interesting, an artist from Japan, Yayoi Kusama, who corresponded with Georgia O’Keeffe.

This blog, Twin Party, has a good amount of info on Kusama. Nice and nutty.

Holy Mother! There is a Frida Kahlo exhibit at the S.F. Museum of Modern Art!!!! It opened yesterday. Juxtapoz magazine has an online piece with pix and great info.

I must go south and make this pilgrimage. She was so very, very possessed of the will and the magic. I’m so glad they did not let Madonna play her in any movie!

Remember, every first Tuesday of the month is free-admission day at all S.F. museums. Plan your trip now.

Also LA Weekly has coverage and a slide show of the Haley Collective art opening. I noticed instantly the very interesting work of Vanae Rivera. There is more on Rivera and the Haley collective in Juxtapoz.

I love faces and so do they. The political figures of our current times are smashing to see as jewelry.

Check this out:

This is inspiring me.

In my reading of Soul Search (see “The Most Interesting Thing” blog entry) the psychotherapist postulates that the founding fathers Adams, Jefferson, Washington, etc. came to their time as a group with a purpose. He believes the same things was probably the case with Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott and Hawthorne.